Audio: Purim: A Burst of Light from the World to Come

The Torah Portions of the Tabernacle: Exegesis Ad Nauseum

2/20/2013, 11:13 AM

A7 Radio's "Temple Talk" with Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven

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Purim is here, and we've got Purim joy! Or, as much as we could have,without the Holy Temple. Put your masks on... or, take them off!Whatever works for you, as Temple Talk's Yitzchak Reuven and RabbiChaim Richman discuss the true nature of joy and explore thebackground of the Purim story of Divine intervention and miraculousintervention and its roots in the ultimate saga - the struggle for therebuilding of the Holy Temple.

How happy can we be without the Holy Temple, anyway? Evidently, we canget used to anything. Maybe that explains why so many interpretationsof the current Torah portions abound, that delve into symbolism andmetaphor and ascribe all sorts of meanings to the tabernacle and itsvessels, but utterly ignore the simple meaning of the words: G-d saidto build it! Whatever happened to the plain 'ol meaning of the words?Our hosts remind us exactly what happened: The Exile. It came in likea ghoul in the night, and messed up our minds. Tune in to Temple Talkand get straightened out!

WEEKLY TORAH PORTION: TETZAVE: Everyone needs clothes. From the firstgarments that G-d made for Adam and Chava, to the clothes we choosefor ourselves today, what we cover ourselves with reflects the essenceof our inner beings. But the garments that the Kohen Gadol - HighPriest - wears reflect the will of G-d and are provided for by all ofIsrael. The beauty and splendor they radiate are the beauty andsplendor of our relationship with G-d.

Shabbat Tetzave is followed by Purim and the reading of the scroll ofEsther, in which we see king Achashverosh don the priestly garments ina perverse attempt to purge his kingdom of G-d, to prevent therebuilding of the Holy Temple and to banish G-d's presence from allthe earth. He failed then and his descendents will fail today. TheHoly Temple will be rebuilt!http://youtu.be/1Q42AjWVflw

Rabbi Chaim Richman is the international director of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem which is dedicated to rebuilding the Holy Temple (Beit HaMikdash). He is a member of the current effort to revive the Sanhedrin and the author of ten books including Mystery of the Red Heifer and A House of Prayer for All Nations. Yitzchak Reuven works at the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. He previously worked building Biblical harps and other musical instruments for use in the Holy Temple. He and Rabbi Chaim Richman have been friends since their Israeli army days. They host the Temple Talk podcast dealing with issues of the Temple Mount and the weekly Torah parsha every Tuesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Israel time (11 a.m. U.S. EST) on Israel National Radio.
Contact Rabbi Richman at: InfoTempleInstitute@gmail.com